Smith.ai vs Ruby: billed calls or minutes, prices and guarantees

Smith.ai vs Ruby: calls against minutes

Smith.ai and Ruby both staff human receptionists, but Smith.ai counts calls and Ruby counts receptionist minutes. Smith.ai Starter is $300 a month for 30 calls and Ruby's entry plan is $250 a month for 50 minutes, both billed monthly, as read on October 23, 2026.

What a month costs on Smith.ai and Ruby

Smith.ai Starter is $300 for 30 calls, Basic is $810 for 90 and Pro is $2,100 for 300. Ruby is $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500.

Arithmetic from those figures, not a saving or a forecast: assume 3 minutes a call, so 40 calls is 120 minutes. Smith.ai Starter plus 10 calls at $11.50 is $415. Ruby bills in 60-second steps, rounds each call up and counts hold time, so 120 minutes is a floor. Its 100-minute plan is $395 before 20 minutes at an overage rate it does not print, and its 200-minute plan is $720.

Booking, texts and chat on each

Smith.ai prices add-ons per call: booking is $1.50, text and email follow-up $0.50, and call recording with transcription $0.25. Calls at 2 pm and 2 am cost the same, and its human plans do not charge for spam when the forwarded line passes Caller ID.

Ruby's receptionists take messages and schedule appointments, and its live chat plans start at $143 a month for 10 chats. Ruby says it cannot use Calendly under its HIPAA service, calling Calendly not HIPAA compliant.

Guarantees, contracts and health data

Smith.ai says it is month to month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan, overage excluded. Its FAQ words the refund window both ways, as the first two weeks and as 30 days, so ask Smith.ai which applies. Ruby says it has no long-term contract, and its guarantee covers a first purchase for 21 days or until usage passes 500 receptionist minutes, whichever comes first.

On health data the two differ. Smith.ai's law-firm page says it is not HIPAA-compliant and cannot handle calls involving protected health information, though it serves medical and dental practices for calls without it. Ruby says HIPAA-compliant services are available by signing a BAA, at no additional charge.

Ruby says you may forward the line all the time, part of the time or on a delayed basis. Get any BAA in writing. This is not legal advice.

When an AI receptionist is the third option

My AI Front Desk is the AI option: $99 a month, billed monthly, for 200 voice minutes, with Hot Transfer, the help center's transfer type that adds a spoken summary for whoever picks up. Smith.ai also sells an AI Receptionist, starting from a free tier of 25 calls a month.

Neither Smith.ai's human plans nor Ruby list a free trial. My AI Front Desk's pricing page offers a "7-day free trial", and its terms say usage fees still apply and the subscription starts automatically if you continue.

• Pick Smith.ai when you count calls and want its stated 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Pick Ruby when you count minutes and want a BAA at no additional charge.
• Pick My AI Front Desk for an AI receptionist at $99 a month, billed monthly, for 200 minutes.
• Pick Rosie for a $49 monthly AI plan with 250 minutes.

See My AI Front Desk vs Smith.ai, Ruby receptionist alternatives and Smith.ai alternatives for the next step.